Viewpoint – Sustainable and equitable growth in farmer-led irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: What will it take?
The rapid development of farmer-led irrigation is increasing agricultural productivity, incomes, employment and nutrition, but it might well not achieve its full potential. Small-scale irrigators tend to be younger, male and better-off. Women and resource-poor farmers – the majority of farmers in...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Water Alternatives Association
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Water Alternatives |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol12/v12issue1/484-a12-1-10/file |
| _version_ | 1819026393273466880 |
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| author | Nicole Lefore Meredith Giordano Claudia Ringler Jennie Barron |
| author_facet | Nicole Lefore Meredith Giordano Claudia Ringler Jennie Barron |
| author_sort | Nicole Lefore |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The rapid development of farmer-led irrigation is increasing agricultural productivity, incomes,
employment and nutrition, but it might well not achieve its full potential. Small-scale irrigators tend to be
younger, male and better-off. Women and resource-poor farmers – the majority of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa
– are disadvantaged and often excluded from the numerous benefits to be gained from irrigation. Equity in access
to water management technologies and practices is constrained by numerous factors, including high investment
costs, absence of financial services, poor market integration, inadequate information services, and labour
constraints. Lack of institutions for collective management of natural resources, such as water, further restricts
access for resource-poor farmers, increasing inequity. In the absence of sustainable natural resources
management approaches to agricultural intensification, this situation may become more acute as natural
resources become increasingly valuable, and therefore contested. Realising the full potential of farmer-led
irrigation requires contextualised policies, institutions and practices to improve equity, markets and sustainability
and help ensure that sector growth is inclusive and beneficial. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T05:25:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-290b3adcca9340e78ee12e3f2a92b368 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1965-0175 1965-0175 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T05:25:52Z |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | Water Alternatives Association |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water Alternatives |
| spelling | doaj.art-290b3adcca9340e78ee12e3f2a92b3682022-12-21T19:14:42ZengWater Alternatives AssociationWater Alternatives1965-01751965-01752019-02-01121156168Viewpoint – Sustainable and equitable growth in farmer-led irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: What will it take?Nicole Lefore0Meredith Giordano1Claudia Ringler2Jennie Barron3Texas A & M UniversityInternational Water Management InstituteInternational Food Policy Research InstituteSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences The rapid development of farmer-led irrigation is increasing agricultural productivity, incomes, employment and nutrition, but it might well not achieve its full potential. Small-scale irrigators tend to be younger, male and better-off. Women and resource-poor farmers – the majority of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa – are disadvantaged and often excluded from the numerous benefits to be gained from irrigation. Equity in access to water management technologies and practices is constrained by numerous factors, including high investment costs, absence of financial services, poor market integration, inadequate information services, and labour constraints. Lack of institutions for collective management of natural resources, such as water, further restricts access for resource-poor farmers, increasing inequity. In the absence of sustainable natural resources management approaches to agricultural intensification, this situation may become more acute as natural resources become increasingly valuable, and therefore contested. Realising the full potential of farmer-led irrigation requires contextualised policies, institutions and practices to improve equity, markets and sustainability and help ensure that sector growth is inclusive and beneficial.http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol12/v12issue1/484-a12-1-10/fileFarmer-led irrigationagricultural water managementequitysustainabilitysub-Saharan Africa |
| spellingShingle | Nicole Lefore Meredith Giordano Claudia Ringler Jennie Barron Viewpoint – Sustainable and equitable growth in farmer-led irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: What will it take? Water Alternatives Farmer-led irrigation agricultural water management equity sustainability sub-Saharan Africa |
| title | Viewpoint – Sustainable and equitable growth in farmer-led irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: What will it take? |
| title_full | Viewpoint – Sustainable and equitable growth in farmer-led irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: What will it take? |
| title_fullStr | Viewpoint – Sustainable and equitable growth in farmer-led irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: What will it take? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Viewpoint – Sustainable and equitable growth in farmer-led irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: What will it take? |
| title_short | Viewpoint – Sustainable and equitable growth in farmer-led irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: What will it take? |
| title_sort | viewpoint sustainable and equitable growth in farmer led irrigation in sub saharan africa what will it take |
| topic | Farmer-led irrigation agricultural water management equity sustainability sub-Saharan Africa |
| url | http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol12/v12issue1/484-a12-1-10/file |
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